43 replies to this topic

[John Jr]

What did he do?

[Sig]

He got caught up in a snafu with ATF on some importation documents.
I believe the issue was the country and/or date of manufacture of some guns he was bringin in from South American somewhere. Tragedy was they were not even Thompsons.
He was convicted and I believe served time.

[21 smoker]

He was heavily `scrutinized `after he took the ATF to court and won... he fought for the right to sell NFA in Georgia when the state said he could and the ATF said it was against Georgia state law...blazed the way and paid dearly...

[Sig]

I remember reading about that too.
For sure don't want to get anyone at ATF pissed off for doing something legal now would we?!
I am glad he blazed a path.
Doubt anyone would try something like that now. Too much risk to have valuable collections siezed.

[21 smoker]

Amen!...to that...however the atmosphere in the ATF seems to be much different today than 20-25 years ago...i.e. Tman and his informative posts...recent transfers I`ve gone thru...very smooth...compliance audit...right now,no complaints...

[Sig]

PhilOhio
I am curious since when did the Federal.gov get authority to enforce state law?
Another curious point where in the 1934 NFA act does it give Federal.gov authority to regulate an item you already own, ie. require an approval to move to another state?
In my bet in both cases probably nowhere but we have abdicated that authority to them by allowing them to regulate us as such.

[rogercox]

I am very much among the living. My personal involvemen with Thompsons ended in 1983. I went back to the University of Georgia and earned my B.A. in 1985, followed by the Georgia State Univrsity College of Law, earning my J.D. in December 1987. I clerked for Prof. Alan M. Dershowitz at Harvard Law School in 1987/1988 I am admitted to the Bars of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, as well as many Federal courts. We moved to the Pittsburgh area in 2009 from Boston, to enlarge my practice opportunities. While I continue some activity in Boston, it's winding down because of the distance, and most of my work will be in Pennsylvania now, especially in the Federal courts.While I do have some fond memories of tracking down Thompsons and their history in my 20's, I have received even greater satisfaction in my legal career. Last year, for example, I succeeded in overturning the 1997 murder conviction of an innocent man, Grant v. Lockett, 709 F.3d 224 (3d Cir. 2013).

 

I married my wife Aileen in 1989, and we have three sons and a daughter. We live in a farmhouse on 13 acres outside of the Pittsburgh suburb of Butler, Pennsylvania. My office is in Butler, but my cases are mostly in Federal court in Pittsburgh, Johnstown and Erie.

 

Roger A. Cox

Cox & Cox Attorneys

350 Greater Butler Mart

Butler, PA 16001-3284

(724) 256-8531

rogercox @zoominternet.net

 

 

[bug]

Glad to hear you're doing well. Oh and welcome here!

 

Bob D

Edited by bug, 31 March 2015 - 02:49 PM.

[Lancer]

Thank you for taking some time to update your status here on the board. I sure all of us wish you well & hope you choose to post in the future if you see fit. 

Edited by Lancer, 21 September 2014 - 05:33 PM.

[bill luongo]

Good to see you are still around,I dealt with you 30 years ago and you always treated me fair. I still have the signed copy of your book and still enjoy going trogh it.

[Dennis Todd]

Hi Roger,

     Glad  to hear you are alive and well and living in a free state. I still have a couple of Colts you unearthed many years ago. The comments about your book seem to ignore the context and era. You have owned more Colt Thompsons ( as well as other machine gun types) than anyone else on earth and wrote from your observations and research at that time.  Certainly additional information has surfaced in the decadeds since publication. The binding of my personal copy is completely shot from extensive use. Did you buy back the rights from Charlie Steen? ;-)

Dennis Todd

[Ron Mills]

Hi Roger!  

 

Along with the others here, welcome and I am also glad to see that you are doing well.  Life takes us on more than one road (or lots of branches of 1 road, lofty discussion there).  You offered me an MP40 in 1973 I believe it was, all matching, very good to excellent, for $400.  I didn't snap it up, my bad.  Thems was the days...  

 

Take care,

 

Ron Mills 

[buzz]

I don't understand why anyone would criticize the Cox book on Thompsons.

 

When it came out, it was no doubt the best book available.  But time marches on.

 

 

The current $300 or $400 for the book is a "collector price".

 

That has nothing to do with the practical value of the book.

 

I can't think of too many books worth $300 for the printed content

Edited by buzz, 21 September 2014 - 09:48 PM.

[Bridgeport28A1]

Roger, welcome to MachinegunBoards forum.  I had read your Thompson book cover to cover before my Thompson had arrived. You were kind enough to reply to a letter I had written you back in the early 1990's when you could have simply thrown my letter away.

 

Ross

[ron_brock]

Hi Roger, glad to hear all is well. I bet it was interesting to stumble upon this thread. As a relative newcomer to Thompsons I picked up your book and paid around $300 for it. I only wish the author received commission on secondary market sales!! Well worth that price for the content.

To Buzz's point, I can place my hands on a couple books that I have paid that much for due to content. When the bar is lowered to $150 I have over a dozen books in that range. All of these were bought due to content not to add them to my collection. Considering what we pay for some items in our collections this price for knowledge should be considered priceless.

Ron

[TD.]

Hi Roger,

Welcome to MachineGunBoards.com. You will find this Board the most informative source of information on the Internet about the Thompson submachine gun. It is well moderated and a great source of information to the public at large. Disagreements do occur from time to time but are civil and can be informative about how much is still unknown about this great American invention.

 

You are as much a part of the history of the Thompson gun as some of the well known employees of the Auto-Ordnance Corporation. Your company, Law Enforcement Ordnance, introduced the Thompson gun into the marketplace like no other before. Your book was a stroke of marketing genius at a time when new collectors and enthusiasts were begging for more information. We welcome your thoughts and comments to all topics. As an early Class Three dealer you were finding, obtaining and selling many unmolested guns and accessories. Your knowledge during this time period is still a great resource. I suspect many of the complete Colt guns you sold for under $2000 as shooters are now safe queens worth well over $30,000. How times have changed!

 

Congratulations on your family and new career. I can tell from your post that you approached the practice of law with the same passion you showed in the Class Three community. The result of the case you cited speaks volumes.

 

Please join us regularly on the Board as we discuss General Thompson's trench broom. I feel certain he is following along.

 

TD.

Tom Davis

 

[buzz]

To Buzz's point, I can place my hands on a couple books that I have paid that much for due to content. When the bar is lowered to $150 I have over a dozen books in that range. All of these were bought due to content not to add them to my collection. Considering what we pay for some items in our collections this price for knowledge should be considered priceless.

 

 

 

I understand.   I was making the point that the $300 price tag is a "collector price" and not a "reader price".  

 

There are some books you can still buy new for $7 to read but the collector price for the 1st printing is $10,000 or more.  It's two completely different sets of buyers.

[ineverlistentoFM]

Roger: I was just a lad of five when your book came out, but since 8th, I've wanted a Thompson. I got a chance to buy one of the guns you rescued from Philadelphia pd. fella bought in 1977 from you and I got it in 2012! Great book and detective work on all the Thompsons you put back into circulation! You are a remarkable fellow and pioneer! Congrats on your achievements post class III! Tony

[Sig]

Roger

 

A big welcome to the board.

 

Like many here I was enthralled about Thompsons when I was young, your book when published made me yearn even more.  Unfortunately at the time I lived in Commiefornia, so I was not able to fill the desire.  Eventually I escaped and was able to begin collecting NFA firearms including Thompsons, and during that time found out it is very addicting in a fun way.  

 

Best wishes to you and your family and even more wishes on your success like you accomplished in overturning the murder conviction of an innocent man.

 

michael

[dalbert]

Roger,

 

I want to personally welcome you to the board, and thank you for your past contributions to the Thompson community.  Sounds like you and your family are doing well, which is good to hear.

 

Welcome!

 

David Albert

dalbert@sturmgewehr.com